Oil & NonOil: Road transport fuelled by LNG

15 Oct 2018

The recent edition of Oil & NonOil (VeronaFiere 9-11 October 2018), the national reference event for fuel distribution, was an opportunity to evaluate the development of LNG as a road transport fuel in Italy.

Assogasliquidi-Federchimica, the association that represents companies in the liquefied gas distribution sector (LPG and LNG) for combustion and automotive use and those that build equipment and plants or provide related services, has organized a special workshop entitled "LNG between innovation and market development "which saw the participation of some of the main national players in the sector.

Francesco Franchi, President of Assogasliquidi-Federchimica has defined LNG as a clean energy source with enormous potential, which can be used as fuel for fueling heavy vehicles, public transport, ships and would allow the country both with environmental/economic benefits and greater diversification energy supply. Franchi has called for the completion of the technical regulations, which may hamper the development of the sector also in reference to the maritime field, which is essential to guarantee the supply of LNG.

As emerged during the workshop, 2017 confirmed the growth in demand for LNG, amounting to around 30,000 tons, with an increase of 50% compared to consumption in 2016. Today, in Italy, there are 26 LNG distribution plants for motor vehicles, tripled in last three years, which will become more than thirty within the year, 8 LNG deposits serving GNC distribution plants, 19 serving off-grid users and 2 LNG deposits for services of two isolated ducted networks.

Aldo Bernardini from Ham Italy estimated between 1,300-1,400 LNG lorries currently circulating in Italy to which another 600 vehicles will be added by March 2019 and subsequently an annual increase of 400-800 vehicles per year, if current incentives are confirmed. Consumption amounts to 35-45 thousand tons per year (120-160 kg per day), with an increase of 100 thousand kg per month in the last year.

Massimo Santori from CNH Industrial - Iveco confirmed the NGVE forecast of a fleet of 280 thousand trucks in circulation in 2030 in Europe, while Eni's Massimo Prastaro illustrated the success of the Piacenza sale point, the first in Italy, which sold 239 tons in 2014, 1,293 in 2015, 2,124 in 2016 and 3,805 in 2017. Eni provides 800 sale points to 2030 and 35,000 trucks in Italy.

Francesco Di Fratta illustrated Snam's strategies for the national production of LNG with liquefaction, rather than with transport from abroad or the creation of coastal deposits. Snam expects LNG consumption between 1.6 and 3 million tons per year to 2030, of which, in the most conservative scenario, 0.2 from industry, 0.6 from bunker and 0.8 from trucks.

Stefano Campanini from TECNOGAS, Giuseppina Della Pepa from ANITA, Silvia Pelagatti from VANZETTI, Alessandro Pasini from BRN BERNARDINI, Cristiano Pedrazzini from LIQUIGAS, Marco Seimandi from BRC participated to the event, moderated by Rita Caroselli from Assogasliquidi-Federchimica.

Here you can find all the relations presented.